As increasing numbers of people seek refuge in Germany, some politicians are calling for asylum rights to be watered down. But they are enshrined in the German constitution, Ednews informs via DW.
In view of the increasing number of refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Germany, calls for limiting or entirely abolishing the right to asylum are growing louder.
"Germany needs a break from totally uncontrolled asylum-migration," Jens Spahn, a leading member of the opposition conservative Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) said on the weekend, adding: "Integrating people who have been traumatized by war or violence takes time and resources. That can only be done well if the number of additional asylum seekers decreases dramatically."
Many municipalities in Germany are finding themselves overwhelmed by the workload of taking in and integrating people who have fled their home countries. Finding housing is particularly difficult.
Germany is one of the few countries to have enshrined the right to asylum in its constitution — as a lesson from the political persecution of the Nazi era. Article 16a of the Basic Law states: "Politically persecuted persons have the right to asylum."
In 1993, limitations on the right to asylum were imposed via an amendment to the constitution supported by most of the major political parties. Since then, the constitution has stated that people can only apply for asylum in Germany if they have not arrived via a so-called safe third country.
